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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25832014">Learning (to say "I love you")</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TyrantChimera/pseuds/TyrantChimera'>TyrantChimera</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>"Son" verse, Fluff, Gen, More fanfic of someone else's fanfic, Oh look at me go again, Vincent gets to watch the aftermath, but also a bit of fridge horror maybe, family fic, sephiroth says "it's mine don't touch"</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 03:21:47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,387</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25832014</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TyrantChimera/pseuds/TyrantChimera</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Sephiroth first said, “I love you,” it was in response to a question. But his adult, Turkish caution can't entirely believe how genuine it is, even if Sephiroth thinks he's being honest. He is a child, after all. The next time Sephiroth says, “I love you,” all doubt is erased from Vincent's mind. TimeTravel!Vincent and Young!Sephiroth. Takes place in the “Son” AU-verse by She_sees_in_the_dark.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>174</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Learning (to say "I love you")</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/She_sees_in_the_dark/gifts">She_sees_in_the_dark</a>.</li>


        <li>
            Inspired by

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23071255">Son</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/She_sees_in_the_dark/pseuds/She_sees_in_the_dark">She_sees_in_the_dark</a>.
        </li>

    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Sephiroth first said, “I love you,” it was in response to a question.</p>
<p>“Vincent? What is 'love' supposed to be?”</p>
<p>Vincent's eyebrows raise as he looks down at the little boy with long silver hair and a consternated expression. Sephiroth's lips are slightly pursed as he ponders aloud to his guardian figure. Vincent blinks, humming as he considers how best to answer the question when the boy asking it has had a... stunted growth at best. Hojo's ministrations were certainly no role model for parental behaviour, but the mark was made, and the explanation would have to reflect that.</p>
<p>“Love is...” What was it, really? A hard question, even for him, that was for sure. “Love is a strong feeling. It's when you like something, but in a much, much deeper way. It... It's hard to describe. Like if I tried to tell you what a bird was, if you'd never seen one before,” he begins. Sephiroth nods at him. But his eyes are still a bit pensive, as if he's waiting for the rest of the explanation. Vincent delivers. “Love can be for an object, for other people, or for oneself. It, ah,” oh, how should he put this, “loving something means you care for it deeply. It means that that you want to keep it close, to protect it, that if something were to damage or hurt or destroy it, that you would be hurt in turn. When you love someone or something, the very thought of living life without it, that thought... it hurts. It hurts deeply. Loving something and losing it... it's devastating.</p>
<p>He has to look away as he continues. Love is so important. Love is so dangerous, and turbulent, and painful. Love was so often said to be the be-all and end-all, the strongest and best emotion, and yet... Lucrecia... “Love is a very, very powerful emotion. But it can be a bad thing too. It can hurt. It can lead to obsession, and selfishness. Love is strong, and often uncontrollable, but. Well. Love, like any other emotion, like anger or fear or pride, requires thought and caution. It can be a very wonderful thing. Or a very, very bad thing.”</p>
<p>Seph's eyes harden in childish determination, like he understands every word Vincent has said. “Okay. I understand. Then that means... Vincent? I love you.”</p>
<p>Vincent's heart skips a beat as he looks down at his juvenile charge, paternal joy swelling in his breast. Part of him is absolutely ecstatic, is so proud, that he has earned this response. This part of him bleeds through as a smile on his face, small but sincere. “I love you too, Sephiroth,” and he means it. Oh, Minerva save him, he means it. Sephiroth is his son now. However, another part of him sees the furrowed brows. The slight puzzlement of a child who thinks they understand a concept, mostly? Maybe. Sephiroth thinks he loves Vincent, but he's still not entirely sure he knows what love is, even if he doesn't want to admit that. And that's perfectly understandable, given how he was raised until Vincent was able to rescue him.</p>
<p>Vincent wants to be over the moon, joyous, at Sephiroth's confession. But his adult, Turkish caution can't entirely believe how genuine it is, even if Sephiroth thinks he's being honest. He is a child, after all. There's an ever-present stain of doubt in his heart.</p>
<p>The next time Sephiroth says, “I love you,” all doubt is erased from Vincent's mind.</p>
<p>Roughly one week later, at two in the afternoon, an afternoon tea and reading session is interrupted in a rather startling manner. There's a heavy, overly enthusiastic pounding on the door, and Brian Lockhart's booming voice rattling the windows. “Hunter! We need you out here, now!”</p>
<p>Vincent launches himself out of his chair, flying (somewhat literally) to answer the door. He opens it, a slightly wild look in his eyes as he stares at Lockhart's fist, almost at his chin from where the man had been just about to knock again. The two males look at each other. Lockhart wastes no time, “Vincent, we need you at the Strife household NOW. Var is being a bloody fool!” Vincent nods in affirmation before surging out the door, not even bothering to close it behind him. Sephiroth is at his heels in an instant, catching Brian by surprise. To his credit, the man doesn't say anything about the child seemingly appearing out of nowhere. He just blinks, closes the door for Vincent, and follows the pair into town.</p>
<p>They arrive at the Strife household within short order. It's quite a scene. Var, the father, is practically red in the face and gesturing angrily, pacing back and forth, as Lockhart's wife and his own, Claudia, apparently try to talk him down. He is mostly pointing at a dead Zu, a birdlike monster naive to the area, which looks like its skull has been caved in. Vincent's mind has already finished cataloging its features; a young male, from its small size and crest, desperate, from the ribs showing and the harshly bent, poorly healed leg, and, well... very dead, judging by the smashed head and the trail of blood where it was dragged out from the inside of the home nearby. And now it's just sat there, smelling of infection and rotting, right in the middle of the Strifes' front lawn no less.</p>
<p>“What happened,” Vincent asks sternly, cutting through the argument brewing at the Strifes' front door. Var is the first to respond, anger sharp in his voice.</p>
<p>“A damn monster came down from the mountains and attacked my wife, is what happ-!”</p>
<p>“Now Var! You weren't there. Let Claudia explain. Men, I swear!” Sasha Lockhart snorted, no amount of sickliness able to hold back her courageous demeanour. Var hesitates, and that's all the opening Claudia needs.</p>
<p>“Honestly Var, it wasn't as bad as you're making it out to be. I was in the kitchen, making that stew you like so much. I turned around and ran straight into the bird there! I don't know who squawked louder, it, or me! I was swinging the pan at it before I even knew what it was. A pain that I ruined my stew on its face, although I almost feel bad for it, really. The poor thing looks starved. It must have smelled my cooking and come to investigate. It's my fault for leaving the front door open, even if it is the middle of one of our hottest Augusts yet,” she finishes, an exasperated look on her features as she glances at Var, who immediately retorts to her explanation.</p>
<p>“I can't believe you're being so casual about this! You were attacked by a monster! In your own home! If we can't even trust the monsters to stay out of the town, we need to cull the lot of them!” Var shouts, clearly in a protective panic rather unlike his usual calm demeanour.</p>
<p>“And kill all the ones who know to stay away? Because if we cull them all, the ones that move in behind them won't be so smart as to steer clear of the town!” Brian Lockhart growls, “Just look at it. That thing was dumb and desperate. The number of times that something like this has happened can be counted on one hand. Thumbs only, even! I certainly don't envy your luck, because this really is a one in a billion thing, but it's not going to happen again.”</p>
<p>Var takes affront to this response, and begins bickering with Brian. Sephiroth has ignored the exchange entirely, following Claudia and Sasha into the house to attend to Cloud, the small baby complaining softly at all the noise. As Sasha kneels down to help clean up the scattered remains of a meal, Vincent narrows his eyes. Something about the exchange just doesn't seem right. He looks at Claudia as she turns to her stove, fussing with Sasha. He looks to the Zu, its corpse covered in splashes of blood and a few chunks of potato and carrot. He frowns. “Zu don't hunt with their sense of smell. It wouldn't have come here from smelling your cooking.”</p>
<p>“Then what would have brought it?” Brian asks, suddenly a lot less nonchalant than before. Even Var has quieted down, unsure about the new information. The women inside look at each other, then around the room. “It was clearly after something, if it went all the way into the house.”</p>
<p>“How do Zu hunt?” Sasha asks as she steps outside. Claudia stand in the doorway, patting Sephiroth's head as he greedily holds the blond haired bundle to his chest in the usual spot, his chin on Cloud's tiny head.</p>
<p>“They're mainly visual predators. As wounded as this one is-”</p>
<p>“So it saw my wife and tried to kill her!” Var shouted. Vincent glared, coughed, and Var lost his bluster. Vincent continued, “Ahem. As wounded as this one is, I highly doubt it would have chanced taking on your wife. I really don't know what would have made it go inside.”</p>
<p>“Perhaps it was sick in the head?” Sasha offered, but not very confidently. They all looked around, trying to figure out what could have attracted the monster, when Claudia give a sharp gasp. She goes stiff as a board, her hands turned to fists as she stares at the dining table within full view of the front entrance.</p>
<p>“Var. This door stays closed from now on,” She says, voice far too flat to be comfortable.</p>
<p>Var looks at her worriedly, “Honey? I mean okay, of course, but we've always left it open before to get a breeze going-”</p>
<p>“Cloud was on the table.”</p>
<p>It was one of the hottest Augusts in Nibelheim history. Yet Vincent has never felt so cold.</p>
<p>“Well, then.” Brian begins, stiffening like his daughter always would right before the fists started flying. He looks at Sasha, an unspoken communication flashing between them, “If our local monsters are starting to try their luck like this, perhaps we should exterminate them a bit after all.” Vincent wonders if the protective glare in his eyes has anything to do with Sasha, or the woman's clear hinting at wanting a child of her own after seeing Cloud. Likely, it has everything to do with that. If children aren't safe in Nibelheim... Lockhart looks at the gunman, “Well, Vincent. Seeing as you're our local hunter, perhaps I can work out details with you about a job. I think I can offer you a good rate for a cull.”</p>
<p>“I won't be taking the job,” Vincent snarls quietly, bringing out his gun, “I'll be doing it for free.”</p>
<p>Several hours later, Vincent and Sephiroth have killed nine out of every ten monsters they've found within three miles of Nibelheim. Part of him remembers Lockhart's sage words earlier, about killing everything that knew to stay away. This is why he's let some live, albeit with a bullet hole or a few slashes from his claws to speed them on their way. The other part of him has been ruthlessly head-shotting and smashing every malformed beast stupid or unfortunate enough to cross his warpath. He's just downed another insectoid monster when he hears a pained screech from behind him. He swiftly turns, worried about Sephiroth. Up until now he'd been quite sure of the young boy's abilities, and rightfully so, but hearing that shout-!</p>
<p>He needn't have been worried. At least, not for Sephiroth's physical health. He has to stop and stare at the furious, hateful gaze of the young silverette as he strikes at a Zu, the bird's wings cut at the tendons and its legs rendered useless. It's not a killing blow. Sephiroth kicks it in its already wounded side, and the sheer spite in his gaze makes Vincent shudder and remember a distant future where that gaze hadn't been directed at a dying monster. “Suffer!” Sephiroth screeches, even as the bird tries to drag itself away, “Suffer you damn monster! Suffer for what you almost did!!”</p>
<p>“Sephiroth!” Vincent yells. Sephiroth startles, broken out of his rage. Vincent points down at the ground in front of him, his gaze stern and his voice dangerous, “Sephiroth. Come here. NOW.”</p>
<p>It's one of the most meek and despairing looks he's ever received from the young male. Sephiroth cautiously approaches, drawing into himself at Vincent's ire. Vincent takes pity on him, remembering all too well what sorts of punishments had been described in the boy's files from Shinra. “Sephiroth,” he says again, much less stern. The boy looks at him, still showing fear, but also a little hope. “Sephiroth. We do not make our enemies suffer. If we must kill, we kill swiftly.”</p>
<p>“But it would have hurt Cloud. I bet all of them would hurt Cloud if given the chance!” Sephiroth snaps, then his eyes widen in shock at his own outburst. He looks at Vincent as if fearing further reprimand.</p>
<p>Vincent sighs, “Yes. Yes they would. And that's why we're killing most of them. But we must never make our enemies suffer more than they should. Pain and misery are horrible things to feel, no matter whether or not if we all feel them. So even if it's someone or something we don't like, we should avoid causing suffering as much as possible. It's utterly horrible. There's enough of it in the world already without us adding more of it. It's best to end things swiftly.”</p>
<p>Sephiroth nods, pouting a little. He seems less accepting of the admonishment and more upset that he was lectured over it, as if he doesn't agree with it. Vincent sighs, and is about to try and explain the concept further when there's a horrific scream of agony. Both he and Sephiroth jerk to attention as they notice the downed Zu, which is writhing tortuously as a pair of Nibel wolves descend upon it. They had moved in as Vincent and Sephiroth were talking, eager to gain access to the easy meal. The poor monster's ear-piercing tones are underlied by the rips of flesh and the squelch of innards as the wolves gorge on the helpless bird. The helpless, still very alive, flapping in vain to get away, bird.</p>
<p>It's not the first time Vincent has seen something like this, but as he fumbles to get his gun aimed, he acknowledges that the sight is never any less traumatic to see. Two shots take out the wolves, bullets in their brains. A third takes out the Zu as it wails softly, its legs clawing the air in slow desperation. It goes stiff, then flops down with an exhale, as if thankful for the merciful end to its pain.</p>
<p>Sephiroth is shaking. After a minute, Vincent hugs him. “I think we've killed enough monsters for now,” he says gently. Sephiroth nods. He's not all there, Vincent notes, but after that sight he's not surprised. True, Sephiroth had wanted the Zu to suffer. But Vincent wonders if he really knew the gravity of what he'd wanted, at least not until he'd seen said suffering delivered by the jaws of the wolves.</p>
<p>It's a few hours past nightfall when they return home. After a long evening of monster hunting, both him and Sephiroth are eager to get to bed. Yet as Vincent tucks Sephiroth in and later covers himself in blankets, he knows he won't be sleeping well tonight.  The monster hunting had distracted him, but the day's events had left him very much shaken. In the dead stillness of the night, in the absence of wolf howls, the silence echoes loudly. Even the wind is still, as if unsettled. He has to block a storm of dark thoughts and memories out of his mind. The screams of the Zu. The blood leading out of the door of the Strife home. Cloud, tiny and alone, vulnerable on the table in sight of a monster. The screaming of something helpless being eaten alive, unable to fight back.</p>
<p>Vincent doesn't sleep well at all. He jerks to alertness a few times during the night. At close to one in the morning, he is awoken again, but not by himself. There is a cry in the night nearby.</p>
<p>The gunman softly walks to Sephiroth's room, the boy tangled under his covers. He's shaking uncontrollably, holding his toy dragon like a lifeline, the room ripe with the smells of sweat and fear. He looks up as Vincent walks in. His tiny face is twisted and ugly with terror and shock. He tries to talk, but all he can do is hiccup and sob and cough. Vincent has never seen him like this before. Not since he'd nearly perished himself. All the gunman can do is slowly walk over, reaching out to see if the boy will accept his embrace. Sephiroth does so, crying and wailing as he crushes Vincent in his grip. He tries to stand, but Vincent gently pushes him down until he's had time to cry it out, had time to gather himself. The silver haired boy is so upset he can barely breathe. It takes a full ten minutes before he can gasp in enough air to speak. With his face shoved in Vincent's chest, he whines, voice so shuttered by terror that his caretaker can barely hear it even with his enhancements, “I want to see Cloud.”</p>
<p>Vincent doesn't ask why. He just picks the boy up and walks to the Strife household at half past one in the morning. Nothing but shadows and still air follow them until they arrive. Vincent is slightly surprised to see a light still on in the window, dim as it is. He knocks. Var appears, hair askew and a haunted look in his eyes as he opens the door. He gives a wry, wan smile. “You too, huh?”</p>
<p>He clearly hasn't slept, just like them. As he opens the door Sephiroth suddenly runs past him, disappearing in a blur as he nearly bulls over the older man. Var blinks at Vincent before letting him in as well. They both follow the trail of pounding footfalls as Sephiroth makes a beeline to Cloud's room. As they enter they see Claudia, cleaning up from where she's just finished feeding and burping Cloud, blinking owlishly at Sephiroth. The boy in question has pressed himself up against a wall and is crying again, drawing into himself as he alternates between staring at Cloud and wiping away his snot and tears. Claudia gives Vincent and Var a look of concern, before turning to Sephiroth, “Sweetie? Are you okay?”</p>
<p>Sephiroth cries some more, nodding. After a few more minutes of trembling in a corner he manages to gather himself, his little voice tight from crying, “I'm... 'm fine! Is... Is C-! C-Cloud's okay?”</p>
<p>Claudia smiles soothingly, giving the other two adults a knowing look, “Cloud is okay. Here. You hold him again. I need to change my shirt, he's such a messy eater.”</p>
<p>Her shirt was spotless, but Sephiroth didn't seem to notice nor care. He reached out, still shaking, but as Claudia handed him the tiny boy in her arms, the older child's grasp was firm. The adults all retreated to give Sephiroth a moment, the boy still wary with expressing his emotions around others. As Var mumbled something and went to make them all tea, and Claudia sighed in exhaustion, Vincent heard Sephiroth say it. As he closed the door to the nursery, he saw Sephiroth stare at Cloud. His tear-stained eyes were filled with such utter adoration, such fervor, that Vincent's mind briefly flashed to that very same gaze in a very different context. One of religious devotion, of utter reverence for a monstrous 'Mother'. But this gaze was, somehow, even stronger than that. Stronger and more pure.</p>
<p>Sephiroth seemed to sag with relief. His eyes lit up happily. Even with Vincent's inhuman enhancements, it took him a moment to register that the soft little breath Sephiroth let out was more than just a tiny sigh. “I love you,” said Sephiroth, in quiet awe. Cloud squirmed in Sephiroth's arms, as innocent and oblivious as any tired baby ought to be.</p>
<p>Vincent closed the door to the nursery with a soft click, a smile on his face.</p>
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